This invention relates to a missile seeker for target acquisition and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an infrared seeker which may be gimbal attached or non-gimbal attached to a missile for searching reasonable angles of attack from zero to 15 degrees or greater. The seeker may be attached by a semi-strapdown mode or a pure strapdown or fixed mode.
Heretofore, current infrared seekers which have been field tested are unable to consistently attack a centroid of a target or to attack some other preferred point on the target. These type of seekers work in an infrared spectra which is basically for hotspot detection. The seekers search for and lock into the exhaust or some other surface heated above or cooled below the background field. The seeker head position and motion provides guidance data which controls the missile for attacking the target.
To permit target discrimination in a cluttered background and in the presence of counter measures, multispectra seekers have been developed which use more that one window in the infrared spectra. Algorithms of various types have also been developed in an attempt to determine the target centroid. However, these types of prior art seekers have not proven successful.
The subject infrared seeker eliminates the above-mentioned problems providing advantages and a combination of unique structure heretofore not found in an infrared seeker for use in a target tracking missile and the like.